In today’s competitive market, savvy marketers understand that showcasing properties in a variety of ways is essential to attract local and out of town buyers and grow their business.  However, the last few months have made effective marketing even more critical. The worldwide pandemic has thrown every industry a curve ball and for agents looking to remain competitive, getting creative with marketing content is key! 

Let’s walk through a few ways you can gain a competitive edge in the real estate market. Barbara Betts, broker and CEO of The Betts Realty Group, recently told Inman of the pandemic, “that real estate can be done a lot more virtually than we were doing it” (Inman). What steps are you taking as an agent to show your clients homes not in person? How can you better their experience?

1. Professional Photography

A great start to any listing is (drum roll please) PHOTOS!  Photography gives every property a visual voice, especially when captured by experienced photographers. In today’s market it’s important to be an educated client, and understand the difference between HDR, Flash composite, twilight, aerial, and single image exposures. For high-end (think $750k+) or professionally decorated properties, it’s always worth the extra expense to hire the best photographer you can find. These images are not just selling the listing, but selling your brand and expertise as a marketer. For smaller listings that require fast turnaround, a simple HDR photoset might be all that is needed. Regardless, understanding the product you are buying (and local vs. overseas editing) is critical to getting what you want.

2. Custom Video Production

Custom videos are another great way to stand out above the crowd. Amateur videos can be hard to watch, and may not show your property, or your brand in the best light. Professional caliber video content is succinct, expertly edited, colored, and synced to background music.  Adding your company branding, or even a brief appearance on camera is a great way to create content that will not only market your listing but also your brand and expertise as a professional marketer.  

Have you ever watched a custom real estate video? If not, now’s your chance. Below you will find a video production done by our team, Keen Eye Marketing. It highlights the property’s features and shows off the landscape, neighborhood, and overall layout of the home. 

3. 3D Tours

Here’s a chance to let your clients virtually experience your listing. Viewers can easily navigate through the home with the click of a button.  Are you familiar with 3D home tours? Some applications, like Zillow allow the agent to use a phone to capture panoramic images of the house to create a tour. For the best result using a 360 degree camera will give your listing better images without misalignments. Keen Eye Marketing uses services such as MatterPort and Zillow to create 3D tours for our clients using a Ricoh Theta, a 360 degree camera that gives the ability to give a tour of the home without anyone ever walking inside the property. This is a great feature that can be shared using a link or simply adding it to your listing.

4. Social Media — LIVE

As an agent, showing off your beautiful listings and creating excitement is your job!  First impressions are everything! Have you jumped on the social media bandwagon and given your followers a LIVE tour of a listing? Hopefully the answer is yes because live videos are an easy way to share properties you’re selling and a way to show off your personality. Not to mention, “Facebook Live videos experience three times the engagement of typical videos shared on social media” (Sproutsocial). If you haven’t tried it, now is the time. Especially, with more and more homes being sold and experienced virtually during the pandemic. When giving a ‘selfie live’ tour staying professional and mindful is always the best route.

Keen Eye Marketing is Charleston’s top choice for full-service production since 2009. Call or email us for a custom proposal for your listings or contact us to schedule your next project.